Query Number: 1505-4 May 2015
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Requested Information:
Lester Harvey Van Koughnet (also spelled Van Koughnett, Vanconant, Van Conant, etc.) is Carmella’s great-great-grandfather. According to the death certificates of some of his children, their mother was Melissa/Malissa Seeley. Carmella would like to find Melissa’s birthplace and parents. Melissa is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Saginaw, MI. Carmella included some records but was not sure whether they were all records for Melissa. She also had an obituary for Melissa, but it gave no information on her parents, siblings, nor birthplace.
Requester: Camella Van Koughnet | Camella.VanKoughnet@DignityHealth.org
Initial Response Information:
1860 census Kimball, St. Clair, MI
Vanconant, Lester, age 31, b, CAN, farm laborer
Vanconant, Melissa, age 25, b. CAN
Vanconant, George, age 2, b. NY
1861 census Lennox and Addington, Canada West
Vancoughnet, Lester, age 44, b. CAN West, farmer, absent in MI
Vancoughnet, Mindwell ,age 50, b. USA
Vancoughnet, Philip, age 22, Jno., age 20, Lester, age 14, all farm laborers b. CAN West
1865 census Schroeppel, Oswego, NY
Kirtland, Asa O., age 44, b. VT, farmer
Kirtland, Orphany, age 36, wife, b. Warren Co. NY, 3 children
Kirtland, Melvina L., age 19, Emma, age 16, both b. Oswego Co., NY; Jenny, age 9, b. IA
Seeley, Clarence, age 6, ward, b. Onondaga Co., NY
Kirtland, Amelia E., age 17, boarder, b. Onondaga Co., NY
Next family in same house
Van Koughnett, Lester, age 45, b. CAN, farmer, md. twice
Van Koughnett, Melissa, age 30, b. CAN, 5 children
Van Koughnett, Phillip, age 25, John, age 22, both b. CAN, both farmers
Van Koughnett, Alice, age 4, b. MI; Lottie, age 11 mos., b. Oswego Co., NY
A couple of houses later there is a Henry Seeley, age 34, b. CAN, farmhand for Charles W. Candee
1870 census Riley, St. Clair, MI
VanConant, John, age 28, b. NY, farm laborer
VanConant, Mar,y age 27, b. NY
VanVomnant, Roland, age 6, David, age 4, Jame,s age 1, all b. MI
Next house
VanConant, Lester, age 50, b. CAN, farmer, cannot read or write
VanConant, Malissa, age 32, b. CAN
VanConant, Alice, age 9, Mimmi, age 3, both b. MI; Willard, age 1, b. NY
2 houses further
VanConant, Cyrus, age 50, farmer b. CAN, cannot read or write
VanConant, Elizabeth, age 48, b. CAN, cannot read or write
Van Conant, Hannah, age 16, b. NY
1880 census Grant, Clare, MI
Vankoughnett, Lester H., age 64, farmer, b. CAN, CAN, CAN, cannot read or write
Vankoughnett, Malissa, age 44, b. CAN, CT, CT
Vankoughnett, Mimi, age 12, Willard, age 10, both b. NY, CAN, CAN; , age 6, Lena M., age 3, Alice, age 19, all born MI, CAN, CAN
WA Marriage
Lena Skyring, living Aberdeen, WA, age 32, divorced, b. MI to H. Van Koughnett. b. MI. and M. Seeley, b. CAN, md. to James A Daley, cook, age 27, of Aberdeen, single, b. MI, to James A. Daley, b. CAN, and Mary McHugh, b. CAN, md. 7 Oct 1916, Montesano, Greys Harbor, WA
MI Marriage
Willard Vanconant, age 22, of Lake Station, laborer, b. NY to Lester Vanconant and Malissa Seeley, md. 23 Feb 1892, Harrison, Clare, MI, to Lillie Alexander, age 21, of Lake Station, b. MI to William Alexander and Deborah Bartley
I have not been able to identify Melissa Seeley in any census before 1860. If you can find her, let me know.
Responder: SGS Query Editor
